[stickboymusic]

Finally i've got time to listen to music... work gets in the way 

Hope you don't mind if i'm honest Stickboy.
Now i'm an old git so i'm by no means your target audience, but i've heard this formula before quite a few times. You do it really well, i especially love the doubling on the vocals in the chorus and the break and the harmonies. It's all very slick, at least to me who is somewhat lacking in musical understanding and ability. I will admit i'm envious on your ability to produce so much quality music in so little time.
But when i hear an obvious talent i do wish they try more to bend outside the mainstream, it seems like throwing caviar at cod roe to me. But that's me, like i said.
I know there is a bit of conflict at the moment here and i don't want to get brought into that(at least until i get to the bottom of this bottle.)... but i'd love to hear you get a bit more experimental... tamper with convention more?
It is a good song well recorded and performed.

Thanks - to be honest its not my usual style and not something id really put on a release.... i just fancied having a go at something more epic sounding... i dont think it fully suits my voice but im fairly happy with the "sound" of the recording as an experiment

I know what you mean about losing some of the convention... i have my influences deeply rooted in folk/pop and like a song to be a song but im all for trying new things

Will have a go at something different and post it (maybe in a week or so)

 

[James Nighthawk]

Firsly I am gonna echo earlier comments about frequency of posting. It is awesome you write so much and you are very talented, this is clear. But you are taking up a lot of the board. There are many of us on here that like to listen to everything posted, and posting daily is getting a bit selfish. There is a lovely community on here and people like to get involved with one another's work. If everyone posted daily that would fall apart overnight as no-one has the time to listen to and review dozens of songs a day. If you keep posting so much you'll find people will start boycotting your threads and then everyone loses. I have seen you have apologised and will slow down, but I just wanted to put my two cents in 

Song wise, this is fantastic work. It is very mainstream which appears to be a dirty word on here, but it is what it is and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

My only concern is that your vocal is very polite and thus doesn't quite sit in a girthier song. I have had the same problem with my voice when trying to be grittier. I have tried some new voice techniques of late which have turned up trumps, but us "polite" singers need to be careful when moving away from acoustic tracks.

Conversely, when singers like that stay in the comfy place, I get bored three tracks into an album. I bought the newest Joshua Raden (or however you spell it) album after liking a song I heard. I have never got past the halfway line, as it is all on one level (American flat mastering standards don't help him, mind!)

[HillbillyJim]

I think this is a superb pretty little pop song! I don't have any doubt that if an established singer (you know - the sort of people that usually get on the radio) had their name attached to this it would be A or B listed on Radio 1. It doesn't do anything particularly unusual or clever, and if you were being really rude you might even call it a little formulaic, but to criticise it for any of these things seems to kind of miss the point. And clearly there is a lot of attention to detail in the arrangement.

There is something that doesn't quite sit right about the singing though. I suspect that actually it's the effects on it and the way you've done the double-tracking, rather than your voice itself, because it sounds just fine in the verses - although I can't quite put my finger on exactly what's wrong. I'm not sure it's that your voice is too 'nice' - if you look at the singers and bands that have become successful by pedaling these sorts of songs, the names I think of are people like Chris Martin, Fran Healy from Travis, that druggy fella from Keane, the fella from Snow Patrol... not a rough voice between 'em!

At the same time, I think the melody could be a bit better... It feels a bit narrow and constricted in the chorus, like there should be a wider range. Especially in the later choruses, where people like Chris Martin would start to put falsetto in and whatever. I don't know if this is because you don't feel you can sing the high notes very well, or are shy about doing a falsetto or whatever, or if it just ended up that way by accident...

Still, very good song!  

[stickboymusic]

I think this is a superb pretty little pop song! I don't have any doubt that if an established singer (you know - the sort of people that usually get on the radio) had their name attached to this it would be A or B listed on Radio 1. It doesn't do anything particularly unusual or clever, and if you were being really rude you might even call it a little formulaic, but to criticise it for any of these things seems to kind of miss the point. And clearly there is a lot of attention to detail in the arrangement.

There is something that doesn't quite sit right about the singing though. I suspect that actually it's the effects on it and the way you've done the double-tracking, rather than your voice itself, because it sounds just fine in the verses - although I can't quite put my finger on exactly what's wrong. I'm not sure it's that your voice is too 'nice' - if you look at the singers and bands that have become successful by pedaling these sorts of songs, the names I think of are people like Chris Martin, Fran Healy from Travis, that druggy fella from Keane, the fella from Snow Patrol... not a rough voice between 'em!

At the same time, I think the melody could be a bit better... It feels a bit narrow and constricted in the chorus, like there should be a wider range. Especially in the later choruses, where people like Chris Martin would start to put falsetto in and whatever. I don't know if this is because you don't feel you can sing the high notes very well, or are shy about doing a falsetto or whatever, or if it just ended up that way by accident...

Still, very good song!  

Some good and interesting points here

I know exactly what you mean about going falsetto in the later choruses... im sure it would add a lot but im not sure i have the strength in that range

i can do it on a quiet song but when the backing is so loud and strong, i think my falsetto voice is too weak to cut through.... its something i could try though

the vocals effect (reverb, slight delay) is the same on verses and chorus so i guess it something to do with the harmony , which is the only difference on the chorus..... i may relook at this one... like i said before its not my usual sound and was just something i fancied having a go at after people on here had mentioned the boredom of acoustic singer songwriter songs

may be worth me trying to knock it up a gear though

thanks!

[andy5544]

excellent song !! as good as anything on the radio at the moment.
No words of wisdom , just wanna say great song 

[madferit]

It sounds a lot like Coldplay,which is not good thing becouse if you want to succeed as a musician you need to offer something different and this sounds like just one of old coldplay songs(even coldplay have MOVED ON in the last album from that style),sorry but IMO there is no way that this song will be popular at all

[stickboymusic]

It sounds a lot like Coldplay,which is not good thing becouse if you want to succeed as a musician you need to offer something different and this sounds like just one of old coldplay songs(even coldplay have MOVED ON in the last album from that style),sorry but IMO there is no way that this song will be popular at all

Not the most useful review - if you would like to offer some advice and not just use the "sounds like coldplay" thing (which people have MOVED ON from long ago) that would be good.

I'm not sure if you read my first post but this is NOT a style I would normally do.... I just wanted to give it a go.... I don't want this to be popular...as I also said this is not a track I would put on a release

However.... for a first attempt and it being compared to coldplay..... i guess i did good 

[madferit]

It sounds a lot like Coldplay,which is not good thing becouse if you want to succeed as a musician you need to offer something different and this sounds like just one of old coldplay songs(even coldplay have MOVED ON in the last album from that style),sorry but IMO there is no way that this song will be popular at all

Not the most useful review - if you would like to offer some advice and not just use the "sounds like coldplay" thing (which people have MOVED ON from long ago) that would be good.

I'm not sure if you read my first post but this is NOT a style I would normally do.... I just wanted to give it a go.... I don't want this to be popular...as I also said this is not a track I would put on a release

However.... for a first attempt and it being compared to coldplay..... i guess i did good 

I couldn't be bothered by writing a review of something this fucking boring ,so i just gave my opinion.......
btw i can't fucking stand Coldplay

[Schavuitje]

If he thinks it sounds like an "older" Coldplay then that's his opinion and that he doesn't think that this would get
popular in the charts today... that's his opinion too.
As far as I can see that IS a useful review.
It might not be the most possitive of reviews, and it might not be what you want to hear, but it is his view nontheless.
Why do people put songs up for review and to hear what people think, if when people are honest about what they think,
they get all defensive.
Yes... YOU might think you did good. But he doesn't. Isn't he allowed that opinion?
I remember reviewing this and thinking it was good. I thought it WAS good enough and modern enough to STILL
make it into the charts even today... And that was my opinion.
Now because of your patronizing answer to his opinion, you have made him angry and swear. That's not very nice is it?
tut tut 

[stickboymusic]

If he thinks it sounds like an "older" Coldplay then that's his opinion and that he doesn't think that this would get
popular in the charts today... that's his opinion too.
As far as I can see that IS a useful review.
It might not be the most possitive of reviews, and it might not be what you want to hear, but it is his view nontheless.
Why do people put songs up for review and to hear what people think, if when people are honest about what they think,
they get all defensive.
Yes... YOU might think you did good. But he doesn't. Isn't he allowed that opinion?
I remember reviewing this and thinking it was good. I thought it WAS good enough and modern enough to STILL
make it into the charts even today... And that was my opinion.
Now because of your patronizing answer to his opinion, you have made him angry and swear. That's not very nice is it?
tut tut 

Don't want to open a can of worms but I think you're wrong.

A review on a forum such as this (as far as i know) is to help people with where they can improve.

To just post "this sounds like coldplay and coldplay are shit and therefore this is shit" is not a review its just a pointless opinion.

I could review a song that is not in the genre that I like and surely find positives and negatives in what i am reviewing.

I wasn't defensive as such in my reply... I just restated my original intentions for the track.

Because someone doesn't like a band that they "think" it sounds like doesn't mean there is anything wrong with the track

And no, im not saying the track is perfect , I pointed out and agreed with its faults throughout this thread.

[andy5544]

It sounds a lot like Coldplay,which is not good thing becouse if you want to succeed as a musician you need to offer something different and this sounds like just one of old coldplay songs(even coldplay have MOVED ON in the last album from that style),sorry but IMO there is no way that this song will be popular at all

you gonna put one up madferit and show us all how it's done ? 

[stickboymusic]

It sounds a lot like Coldplay,which is not good thing becouse if you want to succeed as a musician you need to offer something different and this sounds like just one of old coldplay songs(even coldplay have MOVED ON in the last album from that style),sorry but IMO there is no way that this song will be popular at all

you gonna put one up madferit and show us all how it's done ? 

I'm not sure that's going to happen.... he is "going to change the world and has songs better than "oasis" BUT doesn't play anything or sing"

[madferit]

It sounds a lot like Coldplay,which is not good thing becouse if you want to succeed as a musician you need to offer something different and this sounds like just one of old coldplay songs(even coldplay have MOVED ON in the last album from that style),sorry but IMO there is no way that this song will be popular at all

you gonna put one up madferit and show us all how it's done ?  

I'm not sure that's going to happen.... he is "going to change the world and has songs better than "oasis" BUT doesn't play anything or sing"

yep...that's right .......cause i am genius 

[estreet]

I sense trolls under the bridge  ....

[Schavuitje]

"A review on a forum such as this (as far as i know) is to help people with where they can improve.

To just post "this sounds like coldplay and coldplay are shit and therefore this is shit" is not a review its just a pointless opinion."

That's not what he wrote... That's what he wrote after you patronised him. And YES, although this is called a Review section, people have different ways of reviewing.
Not everyone is so technical. Not everyone knows how to put into words how they think something can be improved. A lot of people therefore just react to what they hear.
They'll tell you what they think of it. Even just a simple. Yes I like it, or No I don't, is a valuable review.

Have only just realised who it was replying to you and yes he does seem to be full of it... Sh*t that is.  but still his opinion is valid whether he plays, sings, writes or just
likes to embarass himself

He doesn't have to put one up and show how it's done. Have you ever made a feature film? Bet you still think you could review and have a valid opinion on one though 

If he thinks it sounds like old coldplay and that coldplay are sh*t and he is going to change the world with the music he can't write then maybe it's best just to leave him be 


I mean we'll all look really stupid when this change comes